Your Occasional Pope

In which the Pope apologizes to the Waldensians for Catholic persecution, showing no grudge is too old.

During a speech to a few hundred people in the Waldensian temple of Turin, Francis decried how Christians over history committed atrocious acts of violence in the name of their faith. "On the part of the Catholic Church, I ask your forgiveness, I ask it for the non-Christian and even inhuman attitudes and behavior that we have showed you," Francis said somberly from the altar. "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, forgive us!"

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The Waldensians are an interesting bunch. Founded in the 1100's by a pentient dry-goods merchant named Pierre Valdo, they preached poverty and against the earthly riches and power of the papacy. As you can imagine, this got them crossways with a number of popes, as well as the Third and Fourth Lateran Councils. They finally got condemned by Pope Lucius III -- The pope who demanded that all Christian monarchs join the pursuit of heretics -- and chased up into the mountains, where they were sought out and slaughtered. (They were anathematized at roughly the same time as the more famously persecuted Cathars.) Papa Francesco is settling a lot of old accounts here.

Of course, here in America, we can't even get together on the symbol of 150-year old treason.